Misato Kawasaki had only been dating fellow Utsunomiya University student Mayu Otaki for a few months when she popped a question: “Will you stay with me forever?”
Kawasaki had wanted to propose marriage, but in their home country of Japan, the two young women would not be able to make a commitment that would be seen as legally binding by the national government.
Eventually, this led to an idea.
The two have decided to get married 26 times in 26 different countries this year — countries with updated laws that allow same-sex marriage.
Their plan is to hold ceremonies, take wedding photos, and interview same-sex Japanese couples and government officials in each of the countries they visit, trying to get a lens into what the experience is there and why Japan hasn’t taken the step of legalizing gay marriage yet.
“I want to show through our wedding photos that being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) is normal so that those who are troubled by their sexual status can harbor hope,” said Karasaki, reports The Asahi Shimbun.
The journey is expected to take six months, and the couple is planning to take a leave of absence from school to put their plan into action this March. They are currently crowdfunding for the additional money they need to make it happen.
